Alrest shines brighter on Nintendo Switch 2
By Paul Hunter
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 first arrived on Nintendo Switch in 2017, and it was well received overall, but introduced a few features fans still debate today such as its more anime-style visual and its gacha party recruitment system. I personally loved the artstyle and didn't mind the gacha elements, but what really hooked me was the game's deeply satisfying story.
Almost nine years later, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition gave me a good reason to start that epic journey again. Just like with the previous Xenoblade games upgraded on Nintendo Switch 2, this game has received substantial visual improvements and even some all-new content.
So, is this Xenoblade return worth checking out? Let’s dive in!
During one routine job, Rex is sent down a much larger path where he meets Pyra (also known as Aegis), a living Blade, who form bonds with human Drivers. Rex becomes her Driver and promises to help her reach Elysium, a distant paradise connected to humanity’s past.
The villainous group known as Torna also wants the Aegis, putting Rex and Pyra directly in their crosshairs as a larger conflict develops.
While the main story is grand, I still love how much focus the journey gives its crew to form relationships during downtime from the central mission. Rex brings sincere optimism to the group, while Pyra is caring and far more guarded about her past. I also really love Tora, an inventor from the small Nopon race, who travels with Poppi, an artificial Blade he created. Tora gives the group some welcome humour, while his genuine attachment to Poppi makes their partnership much more than mere comic relief.
All considered, while the story can be a slow burn, it's my favourite in series because of how personal you get with each characters over this 100+ hour journey.
In a nutshell, you directly control a Driver such as Rex, while your equipped Blade determines that Driver’s weapon and combat abilities. Basic attacks happen automatically at close range and refill Arts, which are active abilities used for damage, healing, or positional bonuses. Using Arts charges elemental Blade Specials, which can be linked into Blade Combos or full-party Chain Attacks that deal huge damage.
Attack cancelling was the part I was happiest to relearn. Triggering an Art as an auto-attack animation ends cuts down the delay before your next action, and the same sense of timing carries into Blade switching. I remember spending hours in the original trying to perfect the timing, and getting back into the groove here was immensely satisfying.
The randomized gacha Blade system also returns, for better or for worse. Core Crystals give you chances to acquire new Blades, including rarer characters with their own abilities, and some that even have their own side quests.
The biggest exploration improvement in this version fixes Field Skill checks, which require you to have specific Blades to overcome environmental blockers. In the original game it only counted Blades you had equipped, but now it'll check your wider Blade collection, and that means far less time opening menus just to rearrange your party and continue exploring.
Merc Missions also play a much bigger role this time around. These assignments originally sent Blades away in the background, while the new Merc Assault mode now lets you directly control a Blade squad in real-time missions. You can swap between them during objectives such as defeating enemy groups or protecting NPCs, which finally gives collected Blades another active use, while also speeding up Merc Mission completion times.
MOMO is one of the biggest surprises in the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. This new Blade comes from Monolith’s Xenosaga series and joins Rex’s adventure during a story moment and isn't tied to the randomized Core Crystal system. She can switch between Real and Imaginary forms, with each form using a different elemental affinity and its own Affinity Chart. I enjoyed having a genuinely new Blade to master, and MOMO is great fan service too.
Cutscenes receive the same improvements, with facial expressions and action sequences showing far more definition. This edition also adds alternate character outfits, including a new look for Pyra that appears during exploration and story scenes.
The soundtrack still rocks, giving each part of Alrest its own personality, and the vocal pieces during important story moments still hit hard.
Performance also gets a bump on Nintendo Switch 2, with the game now running at 60 FPS, which makes camera movement smoother and helps you track enemeies during busy fights.
All considered, this feels like the version Monolith always intended it to be with higher image quality and frame rate that lets the large world really shine.
Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player
By Paul Hunter
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 first arrived on Nintendo Switch in 2017, and it was well received overall, but introduced a few features fans still debate today such as its more anime-style visual and its gacha party recruitment system. I personally loved the artstyle and didn't mind the gacha elements, but what really hooked me was the game's deeply satisfying story.
Almost nine years later, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition gave me a good reason to start that epic journey again. Just like with the previous Xenoblade games upgraded on Nintendo Switch 2, this game has received substantial visual improvements and even some all-new content.
So, is this Xenoblade return worth checking out? Let’s dive in!
Story and Narrative
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 takes place in Alrest, a world where people build their lives on enormous Titans as they travel across a sea of clouds. Rex is a young salvager who earns money by diving beneath those clouds and recovering valuable items.During one routine job, Rex is sent down a much larger path where he meets Pyra (also known as Aegis), a living Blade, who form bonds with human Drivers. Rex becomes her Driver and promises to help her reach Elysium, a distant paradise connected to humanity’s past.
The villainous group known as Torna also wants the Aegis, putting Rex and Pyra directly in their crosshairs as a larger conflict develops.
While the main story is grand, I still love how much focus the journey gives its crew to form relationships during downtime from the central mission. Rex brings sincere optimism to the group, while Pyra is caring and far more guarded about her past. I also really love Tora, an inventor from the small Nopon race, who travels with Poppi, an artificial Blade he created. Tora gives the group some welcome humour, while his genuine attachment to Poppi makes their partnership much more than mere comic relief.
All considered, while the story can be a slow burn, it's my favourite in series because of how personal you get with each characters over this 100+ hour journey.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Most of Xenoblade Chronicles 2’s combat remains unchanged in the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which is fine by me as I already enjoyed how the systems worked together in 2017 original.In a nutshell, you directly control a Driver such as Rex, while your equipped Blade determines that Driver’s weapon and combat abilities. Basic attacks happen automatically at close range and refill Arts, which are active abilities used for damage, healing, or positional bonuses. Using Arts charges elemental Blade Specials, which can be linked into Blade Combos or full-party Chain Attacks that deal huge damage.
Attack cancelling was the part I was happiest to relearn. Triggering an Art as an auto-attack animation ends cuts down the delay before your next action, and the same sense of timing carries into Blade switching. I remember spending hours in the original trying to perfect the timing, and getting back into the groove here was immensely satisfying.
The randomized gacha Blade system also returns, for better or for worse. Core Crystals give you chances to acquire new Blades, including rarer characters with their own abilities, and some that even have their own side quests.
The biggest exploration improvement in this version fixes Field Skill checks, which require you to have specific Blades to overcome environmental blockers. In the original game it only counted Blades you had equipped, but now it'll check your wider Blade collection, and that means far less time opening menus just to rearrange your party and continue exploring.
Merc Missions also play a much bigger role this time around. These assignments originally sent Blades away in the background, while the new Merc Assault mode now lets you directly control a Blade squad in real-time missions. You can swap between them during objectives such as defeating enemy groups or protecting NPCs, which finally gives collected Blades another active use, while also speeding up Merc Mission completion times.
MOMO is one of the biggest surprises in the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. This new Blade comes from Monolith’s Xenosaga series and joins Rex’s adventure during a story moment and isn't tied to the randomized Core Crystal system. She can switch between Real and Imaginary forms, with each form using a different elemental affinity and its own Affinity Chart. I enjoyed having a genuinely new Blade to master, and MOMO is great fan service too.
Presentation and Audio
Alrest benefits tremendously from the more powerful Nintendo Switch 2 hardware. The original release often lost image detail in its large areas, especially in handheld mode, but now the game renders in beautiful 4K in TV mode and a crisp 1080p in handheld mode.Cutscenes receive the same improvements, with facial expressions and action sequences showing far more definition. This edition also adds alternate character outfits, including a new look for Pyra that appears during exploration and story scenes.
The soundtrack still rocks, giving each part of Alrest its own personality, and the vocal pieces during important story moments still hit hard.
Performance also gets a bump on Nintendo Switch 2, with the game now running at 60 FPS, which makes camera movement smoother and helps you track enemeies during busy fights.
All considered, this feels like the version Monolith always intended it to be with higher image quality and frame rate that lets the large world really shine.
The Verdict
Returning to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 reminded me why I enjoyed it so much on Nintendo Switch. The strong cast carries the long journey with plenty of personality, while the refined combat still rewards timing and understanding how its systems connect. The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition makes that foundation even better with its enhanced visuals, smoother exploration, and quality-of-life additions longtime fans are sure to appreciate. All in all, this re-release improves upon one of Nintendo's best RPGs, and one that I am glad to have had a reason to play it again.Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition details
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Modes: Single-player